IHS Nigeria, FCT Partner to Expand Clean Cooking Access, Reach 10,000 Households
Digitnomics 
By Nonye Ngoka
Communications infrastructure company IHS Nigeria has concluded Project Breathe Clean Air Abuja, a clean energy initiative implemented in partnership with the Federal Capital Territory Health Services and Environment Secretariat (FCT-HSES), delivering cleaner cooking solutions to thousands of households across the nation’s capital.
The programme, which officially ended with a grand finale at the Bwari Area Council Stadium, was designed to encourage the adoption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a safer and cleaner alternative to firewood and charcoal, particularly in underserved communities across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
The closing ceremony featured the presentation of LPG cylinders and refill vouchers to beneficiaries in Bwari, the final community covered under the initiative.
Representing the Chief Executive Officer of IHS Nigeria, Mohamad Darwish, the company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Services Officer, Dapo Otunla, said the project reflects IHS Nigeria’s commitment to creating sustainable social impact through strategic partnerships.
According to him, the initiative has helped reduce exposure to harmful indoor air pollution by supporting households to transition from traditional cooking fuels to cleaner energy sources.
He explained that the project aligns with the company’s environmental sustainability and community development priorities while contributing to improved public health, particularly for women and children who are disproportionately affected by smoke from biomass cooking fuels.
Beyond promoting clean energy, the initiative also strengthened healthcare access. Otunla disclosed that the project distributed 10,000 LPG cylinders in two phases and enrolled 2,000 beneficiaries into the IHS Project Clinic Without Walls (PCWOW) Health Insurance Scheme, extending support beyond energy access.
He described the project as evidence of what can be achieved when the private sector, government institutions and local communities collaborate around shared development goals.
Providing an overview of the initiative, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, said the programme was developed to address the heavy reliance on firewood and charcoal for household cooking across many communities.
She noted that encouraging behavioural change required making cleaner cooking alternatives both available and accessible, adding that the partnership with IHS Nigeria made that objective achievable.
According to her, beneficiaries across all six Area Councils received LPG cylinders together with refill vouchers, helping families embrace cleaner cooking practices while reducing the health risks associated with indoor smoke pollution.
She described the collaboration as a successful example of how public-private partnerships can improve quality of life and accelerate sustainable development.
Beneficiaries at the event shared testimonies on the positive impact the programme has had on their households, while officials of the Federal Fire Service conducted demonstrations on the safe handling and use of LPG cylinders.
The event attracted senior officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, representatives of the Minister of State for the FCT, traditional rulers, Area Council officials and community leaders.
IHS Nigeria’s delegation included Senior Vice President and Chief Corporate Services Officer Dapo Otunla, Director of Sustainability Titilope Oguntuga, Director of Corporate Communications Sylva Ifedigbo, alongside members of the company’s sustainability and leadership teams.
The completion of Project Breathe Clean Air Abuja underscores the growing role of private-sector partnerships in advancing clean energy adoption, improving public health outcomes and supporting Nigeria’s broader sustainability and climate resilience objectives.
